Espresso, yacht rock and S&M

by JACK OATMON

This week, I’ve got a sickening variety of weekly parties as well as some strange, twisted and esoteric events to tell you about, so keep your fly zipped and try to pay attention.

Things have been reportedly a lot wilder at Saphir since Mary Hell moved her S&M electro-dance party Beat Me Up to Thursday nights there, particularly since the second floor is being run by a bunch of bloggers who play, well, blog house. This week’s guest downstairs is the eclectic and knowledgeable DJ Bliss.

Friday night, the city’s official disco torchbearers at Loose Joints keep the flaming alive at, of all places, Cagibi, for their first anniversary. I don’t know what the heck’s going on with the rash of retro disco dance parties in coffee shops in Mile-End lately, but I’ll tell you that a steaming shot of fine espresso goes way better with a Giorgio Moroder track than some of the other finely powdered alternatives any day. I take mine long and black, for the record.

Saturday nights have received a much needed renovation lately, with new weekly jams cropping up all over. Baile MTL mastermind Khiasma is fresh off the plane from another crate-digging adventure in the hotter hemisphere. He’s firing up a new international bass night called Mundial this week. That’s at Sing Sing and it’s every Saturday.

If that’s not your cup of yerba mate, or you’re wondering what happened to the rest of the Baile MTL crew, roll around the corner to Korova for a sophisticated evening of Italo, yacht rock, new jack swing and many other esoteric subgenres of pop music that you had hoped and prayed would be buried under the sands of time until the Internet came along and, well, they started to seem sorta cool again. That’s at the AllRounder, with funny guys Jay Watts III and Mark Dufort.

If you haven’t been to Mod Club since it moved to Main Hall yet, hop to it. Bigger room and a better sound system than ever—but no jocks, rockers, teddy boys, greasers or squares allowed.

Also, be advised that Ottawa’s Disorganized crew will be thumpin’ the cellar at Zoobizarre on Saturday night with Boston’s Hearthrob, part of the Jokers of the Scene’s impending invasion of 514 territory.

Those looking for an evening chock full of sound experimentation, disaffected droning psych noise and tweakers twiddling with toys should drop by the Pound (377 Richmond, metro Lucien-l’Allier) for Sonic Meltdown—a whopping 10 bands for five bucks, also on Saturday night.

The last thing I want you to do, to prepare yourself for all this madness, is to go on the Internet and download a song called “Fun Punch.” It’s an incredibly detailed synth mockery of ’80s hair solos à la Van Halen, made by Aussies Bag Raiders, who just got signed to A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold label. If you don’t like it, you’re a soulless cur who has never owned or played with a Transformers or GoBots toy.

GET YOUR FREAK ON! jack.oatmon@gmail.com